Facing an entire weekend alone.

[Lonelylockdown22]

I was at work yesterday, day off today. Not in until Monday now. That will mean three whole days completely alone. I won't see a single other person until I go to work on Monday. My life is so unbearably lonely.

Go to the shops, go for a walk, go to a park, have a zoom meeting with a friend? any reason why these options aren't open to you

Are you not going out apart from to work? Do you mean you won't see anyone you know?

That sounds sad for you. Is this weekend a one off?

What about food shopping?

Nope this is every weekend. And yes I can go to the shops or go for a walk but I will still be alone all weekend.

meet a friend for a walk?

These threads ALWAYS go the same way.

People suggest all manner of perfectly reasonable and doable solutions. OP rejects them all. Pages and pages of "I can't because..."

Result: OP still lonely. Everyone else frustrated.

Can you call/FaceTime/zoom friends/family?

MittensTheSerpent perhaps you should show a little more compassion and understanding

Do you do any hobbies? Crochet, knitting, working with clay or wood/paper etc?

Netflix? You could binge watch something with popcorn or wine if you drink.

Skype or zoom?

Is it a temporary thing because of lockdown or is this a long term thing?

And yes I can go to the shops or go for a walk but I will still be alone all weekend.

No you won’t. You’ll be around people. People who can choose to engage in conversation, even if it’s just the cashier in the shop. Those tiny interactions do make a big difference to feelings of loneliness.

Make the effort- contact people- suggest walks, picnics, volunteer to deliver shopping, or arrange street entertainment (this is happening in my town) call people, FaceTime etc. Online pub quizzes.

For various reasons this has often been my position for the last few months.

I try and break the weekend down into chunks. I plan a lie in on Saturday and then prep a nice brunch. I save podcasts or books to read. I also try and prep a list of “jobs” to do ahead of the weekend; for example things like sorting my sock drawer or rearranging some furniture and focus on those in afternoons. Once I’ve done those tasks and done general life admin it’s Saturday evening. I try and watch an exciting film and treat myself to a takeaway or a nice bath. Then Sunday I’ll go out. So either our for a run early or a walk and ensure I’m out for a big chunk of the morning. Come home and have a nice late lunch and then treat myself to a decadent bath with a glass of wine or something. Then it’s dinner time and a relaxed evening in front of tv.

For me it’s about making each thing a “treat” to look forward to. If I get in the zone of being lonely it makes me feel so much worse, so I plan ahead and instead of empty time I fill it with things to do.

This won’t last forever, I know lockdown really has emphasised it, so feel your pain.

Im always alone at the moment, you need to learn to be happier alone.
Being happy in your own company takes practice, but you wont feel so isolated.

No you won’t. You’ll be around people.

You can still feel alone in a crowd.

Quite frankly, I'm staggered at the lack of understanding and empathy from some of the posters on this thread. What the OP wants and needs is to feel wanted. You don't get this from going shopping FGS

You can still feel alone in a crowd.

Yes but I was answering OPs assertion that she would still be alone. She wouldn’t, she would be around people, she could engage in conversation with any of them. Idle chit chat still serves a purpose in breaking up the period of being alone.

That's my 'normal' life. Lockdown is weird because I am in a merged household. Do small things you enjoy. Mindfulness helps. Before the (temporary) merge, I was working on being 'enough' in myself. If you are enough, you are not lonely.

I’m the same. Doesn’t bother me. Will be fine binge watching box sets
And I plan to go for a walk each day. Perhaps a few beauty treatments.
Enjoy the peace and quiet!

I loved living alone I enjoyed my films books, still do I can spend hours on my own.

Only solution is to try to enjoy it. There must be something you enjoy doing alone. Bath? Food? Wine? Read?
I'd be worried if I was worried about spending three days alone.

I live alone and I'm shielding.

I have lots of online friends to talk to, I arrange socially distanced visits to me, I read, I watch films/TV.

OP, yes, it is a bit shit, but it's your situation and the best thing you can do is try an organise ways to make you less lonely.

That's shit OP. I've been through a similar thing.

Are you in a position to want advice/take practical steps to change it at the moment? Or just need a sympathetic ear?

'If you are enough, you are not lonely'

That is not true.

Volunteer - several mental health charities are looking for online/telephone advisers or listeners. Or pop round to a neighbour who is alone & offer to share a socially distant cuppa or do their shopping. Join some online groups & chat that way. Focus on positive things - that you have a home, your health, enough food etc. Loneliness is cumulative - just a few small interactions can make a big difference. But try not to wallow as that becomes a vicious circle. Good luck - lots of people are in your situation at the moment x

I don't want to criticise other posters, but really...is it appropriate to come onto a thread where someone is expressing that they're upset at having to be alone all weekend to tell them how brilliant you are at being alone/how much you love it?

I mean, really?

Would you go onto a thread where someone is struggling with parenting to tell them how great a parent you are?

Or a health thread where someone is ill to tell them that you're in perfect health?!